Brick-handling machine.



. HATHNTHH JHLHQ, r1907. wz H. FRANCIS.

BRICK HANDLING MAGHINH.

APPLICATION FILED UDEO. 18. 1905. A BENEWED DEU. 11l 1906.

z SHHHTSAAHHHTV 1.

No. 859,445. PATENTED JULY 9, 1907.` W. H. FRANCIS.

BRICK HANDLING MACHINE.

APPLIoATIoN FILED DB0. 1s.

05. RENEWED DEC. 11

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wi lmaoaao l UNITED s'rAppsr'ArENr CEEICE.y

WILLIAM II. FRANCIS, or CHERRYVALE, KANSAS, AsSIoNoR or ONE-HALF To CHARLES FRANCIS, oF INDEPENDENCE, KANSAS.

BRICK-HANDLING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

lmassoni) Patented JulyI 9, 1 907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H, FRANCIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cherryvale, in the eounty oi Montgomery and Stato of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brick-Handling Machines; and l do yhereby declare the following to be a iull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable. others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in brick handling machines. i

The object of my invention is to provide a device of this character whiclris adapted to grip and firmly hold a pile of bricks for conveying them from one place to another and in which the bricks when released from the machine are in their piled relation and can be again gripped by the machine for moving the same. lower or bottom row spaced a Slight distance apart to receive the clamping jaws oi the machine.

Another object oi my, invention is to provide a Inachine of this character inwhich a pile of bricks may be aslreadily handled when one ond of the pile is higher than the other, to prevent the machine from tilting and at all times holding the pile oi bricks in a horizontal position.

Another object of my invention is to provide a more simple cheap and el'fcctive machine to accomplish the above result. I In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is an enlarged iront elevation of my improved machine showing a pile of bricks supported thereby; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation oi Fig. 1; Fig; 3 is a perspective view of the clamping jaw operating mechanism; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view-taken on the line nr-zr of Fig. 1.

Referring new to the drawings, 1 represents a series of verticallydisposed bars provided at their upper ends with laterally turned ends 2. The said laterally -turned ends are connected together by a broad trans-- verse bar 3 adjacent their rear edges. The forward end oi said laterally turned ends, above and below are connected together by bars 4 and 5, one being above and the other below said ends 2, as clearly shown in Fig. 4,land the said bars having their outer edges flush with the outer edge 6 of the lateral members.. Secured tov the upper bar 4 at the center, by moans of bolts 7, is a yoke 8 ior supporting the' machine. rlhis yoke, vas shown, has additioi'ial securing means 9 for forming a more rigid connection with the bar 4. The yoke 8, intermediate the 'securing means 9, is provided with an eliihgated horizontal portion 1.0.having a series oi/'opcliings l. eiitending vertically therethrough. Straddling said yoke transversely therein- 'is a link 12 which has rotatably mounted in its lower ends a sprocket wheel 13. The. said sprocket wheel is located The bricks, as Shown, are. piled with thel between the upper bar 4 and the horizontal portion 10 of the yoke and is oi a diameter less than the spacel between said bar and yoke;

The link 12 has secured to its upper end a supporting chain 15 which may be secured to any desired crane used in brick yards and the like. The sprocket wheel 13 having its teeth 14 passing into the openings 11 in the horizontal portion 1.0 oi the yoke. The shaft v 16 of the sprocket wheel extending outwardly through one side oi' the link is provided with a crank 17 for rotating the sprocket Wheel. Any desired means is used i'or holding the crank 17 in its adjusted position7 and thus it will be seen that the rotation of the sprocket and 2, are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the thickness of a brick, the purpose, of 4which will be hereinafter described. The 1o\ver.ends of the bars 1 are provided with laterally turned' ends 21 which are adapted to pass between the faces of the bricks when they are placed or piled on edge. As clearly shown in Fig. 3, said laterally turned ends are of a length equal to that of the bricks and cach alternate laterally turned member 2l has its lower edge cut away at 22. Secured lo the inner ends o the laterally turned members 21, by means oi screws 23, is a transverse plate 24 which'extends entirely across the machine. The said plate 24 opposite each cut away portion 22 of the laterally turned member is`provided with an elongated slot 25. Passing l through said slot is a pivot' 26 ot the clamping jaw 27 The said clamping jaws, asshown, are of a width to extend fromy the cut away portion 22 down to a horizontal line with the lower edge of the member 21.l The clamping jaws 27 are of a thickness equal to that 0i the members 21 and extend out to the outer end. thereof. Pivotally connected to the 'outer end of the member 28 is a link 29 which is also pivotod at its lower end to the clamping jaw 27. A

By this construction, it will he soon that the clamping jaws are supported at each end and adapted to oscillate, the purpose of which will be hereinafter more hilly described. The outer end of the pivots 26 have rigidly secured thereto an upwardly extending arm 30, which has its upper end bifurcated at 31 to receive the horizontal operating rod 32. Pivotally connected to the plate 24 at 33 is an operating lever 34 which is pivotally connected to the rod 32 at 35 and IIC extcnds upwardly and is providrd with an opor-ating handlf.l Citi. '.lhtl .said lever is made ol spring mctal and is .provided ntrrmodiaty its pivotal connrrtion and handitx with :L laterally tnrnod portion 27 ongngingr tho sognwntal, rack har sttnrvd to thv hars l.

l`hthitm'ratod vnds :il ot' thtl arms 20 hawx pivotally monntt-d thvroin thtmomia-rs fill through whith IhrI har :i2 pas-sos and to which said har is att ached. StnroundingY thv har :l2 is a Coil springr 40 which lwars against tho mmnlwrs 3S) and its opposito mul blurring against a stop A/ll ('arriod hy thev har 'lho tvnsion o|` tho spring fit) holding t'ho arms ii() in thv position rlmnly shown in Fig. Si.

ln using my marhint. it is nndrrslood that th(l ln'it'ks artl tirst mado into pilts ono llrirli (loop, thov hottom row living plamd on odlgtand a distam-o apart `snllit'ivnt to allow tho jaws 2| and :I to pass thm't-hotwtvn. 'lho hrirlis allow this row may la: arrangod in any dri-'rod mannm' and to any dosirod hoight. proyidr-d sdrh a lli-ight is not, Agroatt-r than tho lvngth ol' tho arms I. ly movingY tlnltvr-r -t in tho dirt-rtion ntlit-att-d hy thtl arrow in Fig. 2, 27

thtl t-lamping.r jaws artl tmnod on tht-ir pivots itl and thil liriflis on oithor sidi olV thtl t'lamping jaws art` tirmly grippod against thtarms El, thtts trmly supporting thtl wholt` 'lln- 2li-and tht-ir pivots a'pilo ol' brit-lis van ho rnadily lil'ttd and z-onvoyvd l'rom oml part ola. brick yard to tho other and rt-loasvd7 tlwsamil pilo boing at all timos roadyr to rtooivo tht. marhintl and to. hv again ronvoyotl t-lsowht-ro when dt-sirod.

'lho pilt-s ol'ln'il s, as hrrototoro dostrilwd, nood not merossarily lw ot' a uniform hoight as'tln mar'hino tcan ho so adjnstt-d as to always l t snspondml ina horizontal position.

With

mothod in this applivation. hat. havo made it tho stil)- jw-t mattor ol' a, sop-.trato appliration l'or a patmit; tilvd on .Inno l7th, |907.

Having thus l'nlly dosirrilwtl my inVt-ntion, what l rtrtit hy tht` oppor und ot' said tramo, supporting means longitn dnalty adjnstahly rarriod hy tho onttr Gnd of Said arms and laterally txtondinz.r rlampim: jaws carried hy the lower ond ot' said fralnl.

fi. A inarhml ol' tho rhin-actor duscrlhed, comprising a vortirally disposi-d tramo, latrtally txt'f-ndinf.: arms 'arrird hy tht` nppt-r mid ot' said tramo, an elongated yoko cal'rlod hy tho ontor ond ol' said arms, a link suitably`snpporttld and .straddlinfl sald voli` l sprorlitt whvtl rotatahly t.lrrird hy tht` lowm' und ot' id link and having tPtth. vntorin;r opvnings in tht` yoko, nwans t'or rotating saltl sprotktt wht'ol whrrthy thtl point ot' snpport is slllltl'il, and lattrA ally rvtontlinf.; grippingljaws rarriod hy tho lower and of said tramo.

rta-tiratiy disposod f'ramt. latta-ally ixttndlng arlns rarrtd hy tho lowm' mld ot' said l'ramt, and rg-rippingY jaws plvotally snpportod holow said latorally tnrnvd arms.

A marhno ot tht` rharai-tm' dist'rihtd, romprising a vt-r ally disposta] l'ramt. latorally (nvttnding: arms rari-ivd hy tho lowtr vnd ot' said tramo, grippingr ,jaws pivotally sopportotl hvlow said laterally tnrmd arms, and moans for slnnltanoonsly opta-ating said ::rippin aws.

t. A marhinr ot' thtl rharartrr dt' ilwd,. romprsin;r a vortit'ally disposi-d l'ramo. latvrally txthnding,r arms rari-ivd hy thoy lowor rnd ot" nld tramo, ,"i'ipjrliilgy jaws linktd lo tinl ontor vnd ol' said arms and havin;r thtir inntr onds jonrnalod in rIon;.;aIrd horizontal slots, optratim.: arms rar rind hy tht` journals of said ,-vrppng' jaws, an oporatlng lrvrr, and a spring, ronnm-tlon ht'twttn said llvtr and oporatingH arms.

T. A niarhino oi' tht` rharat-t'or drsrrhtd, romprislm,r a rt-rtirally tlisposrd l'ramv, latorally vxtonding arms rarrlotl thorn-hy. tal'll alttrnatv arm having its lowtr (algo uni anay, a link t-arrird hy tht` onttr mld of thtA ont. away arm, ,grippingl jaws pivot'ally ronnvrhd to thvy lowvr rndo said link. pivots vat-riad hy tho inmr (nids of said gripping,r jaws and passing throng-h horizontal olongatid slots, :lrms rl;.{ idly srt-nrvd to said pivots and haring' hifnrc'aind llppvr onds, a horizontally arrangod rod passing through said hllnrr-att'd arms, stops rari-lod hy said rod, roll sprlngs on tht` rods hrtwvon tho stops and tho hltnrt'zttrd @nds of the arms. and a pivott'd opvratim,r lovtr ronntt'trd to said rod whom-hy tho gripping' jaws artl simnltanronsly lnovvd anti having tht` salmi gripping; prtssnrt.

l-n trstimony wht'rtol' l havo atllxod my signatur-o, in

ally disposait tramv. laterally textt-ndini,r arms rarrird 

